I was reading about it, and does anyone know the science behind how we are not in starvation mode on IP? One sympton of starvation mode is irrelgular periods, which has been happening to me for about the last year.

Also, I have been in a slump for about 4 months, I have restarted like 5-10 times for sure.. I have cheat days like we should be doing in maintenance and my loss for that week is gone.... So I am pretty much maintaining the weight I have been at since summer.. I really want to continue my journey and reach my goal, but i feel frustrated (with myself) bc I have no will power anymore... before I was all IP, never strayed. things changed though when I got happier with my body... now its reversed and I am not happy anymore and ..... waaa waaa waaa.. lol... I dont know.. I need some encouragement..

does anyone have any thoughts on tea? can it slow weight loss?

I always come on here a read posts for encouragement... helps alot...

I'm not going to comment on the science aspect, although I will point you to the link in the daily chat thread to Dr. Tran's book. The book explains the science behind the diet - perhaps he addresses your question in there.

Re: motivation - how about setting mini-goals for yourself? With non-food rewards.

As far as tea goes - I drink tea everyday (green and herbal usually). If it has caffeine in it, drink more water to compensate. If it doesn't have caffeine, you can count the tea as part of your water intake. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I usually have a cup of green tea in the morning to get me going. I don't think it has affected my weight loss.

The irregular periods are a result of fat loss and estrogen releasing into your system (if your doctor has ruled out other possible causes). Women store estrogen in their fat cells, and with rapid weight loss our bodies are subject to a higher-than-normal level of estrogen running through us - causing wonky periods and mood swings/irritability.

This article may help with your question about why we are not in starvation mode on IP - but the nut of it is that ketosis is what makes the difference between our bodies "starving" and being nourished on low calories.

http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketosis.html

There's no reason that tea would have any effect on your weight loss, brewed herbal tea is no different than water. If you drink caffeinated tea you would just have to drink some extra water to compensate for the diuretic effect. Unless the tea you are drinking has excess sweeteners or additives in it, you should be fine.

As far as your "stall" goes - if you are doing one cheat day you are following the maintenance plan, so staying at your current weight is exactly what you should be doing. So I guess I'm a little confused about exactly what you're aiming for. If you are trying to lose a little more weight, you should be strict Phase 1, no cheat days and no veering off course - if you read the "reboot" thread you will find that many have said it is harder to get the weight off if you're coming back to P1 after being in maintenance. You may just need to look at what your goals are, whether they are realistic for an eating lifestyle you CAN maintain and be happy - and how badly you want it.

Good luck!!!!

"Starvation mode" is really a catchall phrase to include all the ways in which metabolism can be affected adversely when restricting calories.

To some degree ALL calorie restriction can slow your metabolism, and to some degree the slowing is not something you can prevent (unless you never try to restrict calories). You can't escape the possibility that if you're a veteran dieter you may burn fewer calories on a 1200 calorie diet than if you never dieted in your life.

(In a nutshell, that's one of the most common effects lumped into the many that comprise "starvation mode.")

Very low-calorie diets, even when they DO slow metabolism, do not STOP metabolism. You can slow the starvation process down, but you can't stop it. So someone new to a vlcd will lose more rapidly than someone who's been on that same diet for five months, but if calories are restricted low enough both will lose. You can only slow metabolism so far (it is impossible to live indefinately on a 500 calorie diet, for most folks for example).

Also, there's some indication that carb-intake influences how much metabolism is effected. Higher carb diets apparently are generally more prone to "starvation mode" than ketogenic diets. I for example often have long-lasting weight loss stalls on even a 1500 calorie high-carb diet, but don't have those stalls on even an 1800 calorie low-carb diet. Not everyone is affected the same way, but this is partially why "starvation mode" is so misunderstood. Some people believe that starvation mode means that you won't lose weight even on a 500 calorie diet, or that one can even gain on such a diet. That's not how "starvation mode" metabolic slowing really works.

It's important to understand what the actual research indicates about metabolic slowing that can be lumped into the term "starvation mode." The research suggests that not everyone experiences starvation mode, and even those who do, don't necessarily experience it to the same degree or in the same way. Some people's metabolisms never slow down, others slow down only in very specific circumstances.

If you're not losing on IP (and I don't mean not losing every single week - I mean if you're not losing something every month), you may want to look into ways to tweak your metabolism (with exercise, making sure you're getting your full amount of protein, making sure you're not choosing mostly packets on the higher carb end of the spectrum, making sure you're getting good sleep... and all the other effects that go into maximizing metabolism...."

"Starvation mode" is poorly understood perhaps because it encompasses so many different factors that affect so many people so differently. What it really boils down to is maximizing your metabolism, and there are many ways to do that. Calorie-intake is only one of those ways.

IP and other PSMFs are very low calorie diets (so that's one strike against them in terms of metabolism).

However, they're also very low in carbs (a point for them) and high in protein (maybe another point?)

They're low stress, because you have very few decisions to make (and stress is strike, because stress itself is a metabolism drainer, as is poor sleep quantity or quality).

"Starvation mode" isn't one trigger, it's many. And you have to look at not only the "strikes against IP" (the more intense calorie restriction) but also the points in metabolic favor (the anti-starvation-mode factors) such as the protein/carb ration, the ketogenic effects, the possible stress relieving aspects of the plan...

And if you don't want to follow IP or something like it, you still have to look at the likely metabolic pluses/minuses of the plan. To do that, you have to understand what causes the metabolic shifts (because labeling them all starvation-mode makes it difficult to avoid oversimplifying. Instead, there are metabolism-boosting effects of some behaviors and metabolic-draining effects of others. Every plan has some of each, so you have to make sure your pros outnumber your cons, and only trial and error can give you the information you need, because they vary from person to person).

Irregular periods have many causes. Amenorrhea, as it relates "starvation mode" from what I have read, is because a female has gotten to a very low body fat and heavily restricting carbs. I am not sure what the cause is in your case but until you're around 20% BF or lower I wouldn't suspect this to be the issue. Regardless this might be a good reason to visit the doctor.

To your larger issue - there are many ways to lose weight but the real key isn't to lose weight because frankly losing weight isn't too difficult. The real trick is to keep it off and that requires adopting a way of eating (WOE) that you can live with forever. There are many potential strategies but finding the one that will work for you is the important thing.

In your case, I would advise you to take a diet break for a while and just practice maintaining. A doctor can tell you if you're having any hormonal issues but it does seem apparent you're psychologically worn out from the dieting process. Read about a full diet break.

My maintinence strategy is in my profile and rediculously easy to follow.

Thanks for all the great info Kaplods....btw, "How's your book coming?" (wasn't that the catch phrase I was to use when you're procrastinating??

Yes-- your editor DID send me to keep an eye on you -- and here it is

Thanks John -- that was interesting reading

kaplods,
Good to know, you are writing a book. I just heard you should choose food depending on your body type. Like if you are apple shaped, you should reduce carbs. If you are pear type, you should increase fiber.
If you are stressed, cortisone harmone increases belly fat. And estrogen increases you fat on thighs and hips.
When, I reduced my carb intake, my tummy has slimmed down, I am not sure about fiber though.